Gate.



PATENTBD FEB. 6, 1906.

E. E. BANKEN.

GATE. runnen rILBn nlm, 1m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED PEB. 6, 1906.

E. E. HANKEN.

GATE.

nrmonxos rxLnn 1mm. loos.

2 BHBETS-BHBBT 2.

Inventor Attorneys UNITED STATES OFFICE.

GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

pplcation led April 7, 1905. Serial No. 254,376.

To amil whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD E. HANKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Dou las, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Gate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to swinging gates, and has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby the gate is particularly adapted for use on farms, public highways, and the like and to provide for openin the gate from a distance, so as to swin t egate away from the party approachingt e same.

t is also proposed to balance the gate in a simple and improved manner, so as to re- .move the strain of the weight of the gate on the hin es thereof.

Anot er object of the invention is to produce improvements in the manner of latching and releasing the ate and to prevent accidental unlatching ci' the gate by reason of small stock attempting to pass beneath the ate.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, companyi drawings, and particularly pointed out in t e appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the sco e of the claims without departing from t e s irit or sacrificing any of the advantages of t e invention.

In the accompanying drawings, a side elevation of the gate embodyin features of the present invention, parts sing broken away to show the pivotal support at the top of the hinged end of the gate. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the gate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the pivotal support at theupperrear end of the gate, portions bein broken away to show the assemblage of t e parts. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on the line 5 5 rof Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the latch-controlling lever. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the keepers. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view vof Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail lperspective view of the members of one of t e T-shaped couplings of the gate-frame.

`Like characters-of reference designate cor- Figure 1 is shown in the actheresponding parts in each and every ligure of the drawings.

The frame of the present gate is made up of tubular bars or pipes and consists of u per and lower longitudinal bars 1 and 2, W ch are connected by the front and rear end bars 3 and e, the bar 4 having its upper portion 4 rising a suitable distance above the top of the gate. The meeting ends of the lon itudinal and end bars are connected by uplicate couplings 5, each coupling consisting of a pair of complementary substantial y T- shaped members, which have their branches semitnbular in section, so as to embrace the respective bars, and provided with registering perforate ears 6, through which bolts, rivets, or other suitable fastenin s are passed to clamp the couplings upon t e bars. In addition to the external frame portion there is an intermediate longitudinal brace-bar 7, which is connected at each end to the respective bars 3 and 4 by means of couplings 5, as hereinbefore described. The jframe of the ate is iilled in or covered by a suitable Wire abrio 8, which embraces the front end bar 3 Y and extends rearwardly therefrom at opposite sides of the gate, with corresponding ends of the line or runner wires connected to the frames of a vertical series of ratchet-wire stretchers 9 of the windlass ty e, the other ends of the wires being wra pe around the drums of the respective stretc ers as indicated at 10 in Fig. 3.

At the top of the gate there is a rear extension consistinV of a pair of substantially parallel tubular bars 11, which lie at opposite sides of the bar 4 in the same plane with the upper lon itudinal bar 1 and extend at the iront and ack of the end bar 4. The front ends of the bars 11 are held in a clamp consisting of up er and lower members 12 and 13, having t eir inner faces provided with correspon ing seats or recesses to receive the bars and thelr ends jpierced by suitable fastenings 14 to draw t e clamp members into snug en agement with the bars. The middles oi t e clamp members of course snugly embrace the upper frame-bar 1 of the gate. A similar clamp embraces the bars 11 adjacent the rear side of the end bar 4. A yoke 15 embraces the top of the har 4 in a direction at right angles to the frame of the gate and has its lower ends suitably connected to the bar above the top oi' the gate. The rear ends of the bars 11 are connected by a transverse angle-bar 16, with fastenings 17 iercing the cross-bar and the bars 11. russbraces 18 pass through the voke 15 at opposite sides of the post 4 an have their rear ends suitably connected to the downturned flange of the bar 16 and their forward ends connected to the upper frame-bar 1 at or in front of the clamp l2. A wei ht-box 19 is supported upon the tops of the ars 11 adjacent their inner ends and connected thereto by means of a fastening 20, piercing the bottom of the box, and an intermediate cross-bar 21, carried by the bars 11. A brace member 22 is secured to the front of the box and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom, so as to lie against the top of the yoke 15, and is secured to the open top of the end bar 4 by means of a fastenin 23, preferably in the nature of a hooked l(bolt, which has its lower end hooked throu h an opening 24, formed in the back of the lidar 4, with its upper end piercing the brace 22 and provided with a nut 25, set ti htly down upon the brace, whereby a single astening serves to connect the brace 22 and the yoke 15 to the top of the bar 4.

A diagonal brace 26 has its lower end connected to a clamp or collar 27, secured upon the forward portion of the lower bar 2 of the gate, and its upper end connected to a similar clamp or collar 23, carried by the rear portion of the upper bar 1.

For the support of the ate there is a hingepost 29 set in the ground and provided near its lower end with an e 7e 30, secured to the front side of the post, t ere being a plate 31 secured to the top of the post and rejected infront thereof. An upright tubu ar bar 32 has its lower end loosely received within the e e 30 and its upper end loosely projected t ough an opening in the front part of the plate 31. An upright pintle-pin 33 is loosely received in the open top of the bar 32 with its upper portion extending through an o ening 34 in the adjacent lower clam mem er 13, the upper extremity of the in being received within a seat 35 in the un er side of the upper clamp member 12. An annular shoulder 36 is provided upon the upper projected portion of the pin 33 and bears upon the top of the tubular bar 32. A collar 37 adjustably embraces the up er portion of the bar 32 and rests upon the p ate 31, so as to support said bar, there being a set-screw 38 piercing the collar and engaging the bar to hold the former at any elevation upon the bar. By this construction and arran ement of parts it will be understood that t e frame of the gate is su ported upon the top of the intle 33 and is ba anced thereon by means o the weightbox 19, which is designed to contain stones, scrap-iron, gravel, or any available material to counterbalance the weight of the frame of the gate at the other side of the upright bar 32 'lo maintain the gate in its upright position, it is connected at its lower portion to the bar 32 by means of a substantially U- shaped clip 39, which embraces the adjacent coupling 5 and is adj ustably connected thereto by means of a fastening 40, carried by cach side of the coupling and projecting through a slot 41 in the adjacent side of the clip, t ere being a nut 42 provided upon the fastening, whereby the clip is adjustably secured to the frame of the gate. The cross-head portion 43 of this clip is ierced by an o ening 44, loosely receiving tiie bar 32, whereby the clip 39 may swing easily around the bar, thereby to maintain the lower ortion of the gate in vertical alinement wit the upper portion thereof.

Forlocking the gate an u right latch-bar 45 is provided in front of the ront end bar 3 and loosely connected thereto by upper and lower links 46 to permit endwise movement of the bar. A keeper-bar 47 is secured to the latchpost 48 by means of upper and lower fastenlngs 49, projected forwardly from the post and extending through longitudinal slots 50 in the bar, there being heads 51 formed by nuts and washers u on the outer ends of the fastenings and we ges or chock-blocks 52 driven in between the bar 47 and the post 48 to rigidly hold the bar at an Y elevation. Upon the front face of this bar there are two or more keepers for engagement b the latchbar 45, one of such keepers being s own in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings, This kee er comprises a bracket 53, connected to the ar 47 and rovided with a pair of s aced substantial y horizontal wings 54, eac of which is pivoted to the bracket, so as to swing vertically and normally gravitate into a horizontal position with its rear end portion 55 depending below the ivot of the wing and engaging the front side of the bracket to support the wing in a substantially horizontal position. The wings are flared upwardly and outwardly from their inner edges, and when the latch-bar 45 engages the outer edge of either wing 54 it wipes past the latter, which swings u wardly, so as to permit of the assage of the bar until the latter is arrested by contact with the inner straight edge of the other wing, whereupon the upwardly-displaced wing automatically gravltates into its normal horlzontal position with the latch-bar held between the two keeper-wings. The latch-bar may be released from the keepers by swingin the same upwardly and rearwardly to t e dotted-line position, so as to clear the-free ti s of the wings. For conveniencein contro ing the latch-bar there is a lever 56, consisting of a bar bent into substantially U shape, so as to straddle the bar 3, and connected to the latch-bar, as at 57. At the point where the lever straddles the gate-bar 3 there is a fulcrum-support for the lever,'consisting of antifriction sleeves or rollers 58, carried by a rod or bolt 59, piercing the bar 3.

IOO

A rope or and extends rearwardly beneath the crosshead formed by the clamp 12 in rear of the bar 4 and thence upwardly to a chain 61, which passes through having a swivel connection with the brace 22.

wire is connected to the lever 56 a guide or pulley 62,

To prevent upward tilting of the gate by the action of small stock attempting to pass beneath the gate, the lower longitudinal bar of the gate-frame is projected in front of the Jiront end bar 3 and provided with an antifriction-roller 63, mounted upon a horizontal axis and designed to enter a ixed keeper 64, carried by the lower portion of the front face of the bar 47, said keeper overhanging and also extending below the peripher of the roller, so as to prevent elevation an depression of the free end ofthe gate.

As hereinbefore indicated, it is pro osed to eiect opening of the gate from eit er side thereof and at a distance therefrom, wherefore cables are connected to the free end of the chain 61 and extended for suitable distances at opposite sides of the gate to elevated arms 66, carried by posts 67, the free ends oi the cables of course depending from the arms, so as to be accessible from a vehicle. Upon pulling down upon the tree end of either cable 65 the chain 61 and the element 60 will pull upon the lever 56, so as to roc the same, and thereby swing the latch-bar 45 upwardly and rearwardly into the dottedline position out of engagement withthe keepers, after which the pull comes upon the rear extension of the gate in rear of its pivotal support, which tends to swing the gate open away from the traveler. After passing through the gateway the other cable 65 is pulled to close the gate, the latch-bar 45 of course engaging with the keepers in the manner hereinbefore described. When the gate is open at either side of its closed position, one end of the cross head or yoke 15 is in engagement with one of the cables 65, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawin s, so that when the cable 65 is pulled to close t e gate the pull of the cable will be applied directly to the yoke or cross-head 15, which is in front of the pivotal axis of the gate, and thereby tends to impart an initial closing movement to the gate, so as to insure a prompt swinging of the gate from its open to its closed positions,

The gate can of course be opened without manipulating either of the controllin -cables 25 merely by manipulatin the latch-lever 56 directly by the hand to re ease the latch-bar 45 from t e keepers.

After the gate has been set up if the rod 1 sags and it becomes necessary to raise the free end of the gate this adjustment may be accomplished in avery simple and convenient manner bylloosening the Kfastenings 14, which connect t e clamp members 12 and 13, and then sliding the latter forward, together with the loop of brace 18,which embraces the top bar 1, the fastenings 14 of course being atterward tightened, so as to support the gate in its elevated position.

As best shown in Fig. 8 oi" the drawings, it will be noted that the inner ed ge of each latch member or wing 54 lies below the pivotal support of the wing, and therefore lateral pressure of the latch-bar 45 against either wing tends to hold the latter down rather than to Jforce the saine upwardly, and thereby release the latch-bar. As said inner edge of the wing is normally below the pivotal support of the wing, it is in position when elevated to cause the wing to gravitate to its normal position.

Having thus described the invention ,what is claimed is 1. The combination with a support, of an upright pintle-bar carried thereby, a swinging gate counterbalanced upon the top of the pintle-bar, and a substantially U-sha ed cli loosely embracing the pintle-bar an stra dling the lower portion of the gate, the sides of the clip being longitudinally slotted, and fastening means carried by the gate and adjustebly engaging the slots.

2. The combination with a support, of a swinging ate having a rear extension pivotally sustained upon the top oi the support, an upright rising from the gate in front of the pivotal su port of the gate, a cross-bar carried by t e upri ht, truss-bars extending from the top longitudinal bar of the gate rearwardly across-the cross-bar and connected to the rear end of the extension, and a counterwei ht supported upon the extension in rear of t e 'Ipivotal support.

3. he combination with a support, of a swinging ate having a rear extension pivotally sustained upon the top of the support, a counterbalance carried by the rear extension, an upright rising from the top of the gate, a brace extending between the counter-weight andthe upright, a latch carried by the ee end of the gate, a guide carried by the brace in rear of the pivotal su port of the gate, and a flexible latch-control ing element extending rearwardl f Jfrom the latch and through the guide wit portions extending at opposite sides of the gate.

4. rlhe combination with a vertically-adjustable swinging gate, a latch-post having a vertically-adjustable keeper, a front extension at the lower ed ge of the gate for engagement with the keeper in the closed condition of the gate to support the gate against sagg 5g. The combination with a vertically-adjust-able swinging ate, a latch-post having a vertically-admeta le keeper adjacent the lower end thereof, a longitudinal projection of the lower bar in front of the gate and disposed for engagement with the keeper in the closed condition of the gate and to support the gate against sagging.

IOO

6. The combination with a vertically-adjustable swinging gate, a latch-post having a vertically-adjustable keeper adjacent its lower end and open at opposite sides, a front extension of the lower bar of the gate disposed to enter the keeper through either side thereof and to support the gate against sagging when closed.

he combination with a vertically-adjustable swinging gate, a latch-post having a vertically-adjustable keeper upon the lower portion thereof, of a longitudinal bar extended in front of the gate and provided with an antifriction-roller to enter the keeper and support the gate against sagging when closed. he combination with a vertieally-ad justable swinging ate, a latch-post, a vertically-adjustable atch-bar carried by the ost, upper and lower keepers carried by the har, a projection extending in front of the gate and disposed to enga ,e the lower keeper 1n the closed condition of t e gate and to support the gate against sagging, and a latch ear-l ried by the gate for engagement with the upper kee er when the gate is closed.

9. Tllie combination of a latch-post having upper and lower substantially horizontal projections, a latch` ar having longitudinal slots receiving the projections, adjustable heads carried by the outer ends of the fastenings and arranged to engage the latehbar, a

washer itted between the bar and the post to former with respect to the latter,

a keeper carried by the bar, and a verticallyadjustable swinging ate having a latch for engagement with the eeper.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD E. HANKEN.

Witnesses:

H. H. COBURN, P. H. FINLEY. 

